Heroes of the Pandemic 06: VoxNeuro - Quantifying the neurological impact of COVID-19 for effective recovery

VoxNeuro is always looking at what is affecting the brain and how they can help. So, when reports came out that COVID-19 impacted brain health, the team did not hesitate to offer their expertise and technology.

The Cognitive Health Assessment is the company’s breakthrough technology based on the life research of VoxNeuro’s Chief Science Officer, Co-Founder and neuroscientist, Dr. John F. Connolly. Its proprietary EEG-based assessment measures a patient’s real-time brain function to objectively give healthcare providers a precise report of the patient’s performance and mental abilities. These insights can then inform targeted treatment and help track recovery.

Solving the risk of misdiagnosis

“Before VoxNeuro, healthcare providers had to rely on assessments that were based on behavioural observations or patients self-reporting, which leaves for a very high margin of error in diagnosis and treatment,” explained Kim Elliott, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, VoxNeuro, which is based out of McMaster Innovation Park. “We have the only neuro-imaging tool that can objectively quantify the performance of mental abilities.”

The Cognitive Health Assessment was developed to focus on traumatic brain injuries but has become a valuable tool to assess mental abilities following any injury or illness that has neurological implications – like COVID-19.

Uncovering the neurological consequences of COVID-19

Early reports have come out internationally suggesting that the novel coronavirus crosses the blood-brain barrier causing the virus to attack the brain. Additionally, peer-reviewed publications have found that COVID-19 patients can experience neurological symptoms – and some can have lasting effects.

There are still many unknowns about COVID’s impact on the brain as healthcare professionals begin to focus in on patients’ longer-term care needs – and VoxNeuro is playing an important role in both the research and clinical fronts of the pandemic.

“We can not only help prove objectively that there are neurological implications in certain COVID-19 patient populations, but we can also help track treatments,” explained, Kim. “So, if healthcare systems are testing out different drugs or different rehab methods, we can track that patient throughout their recovery and prove what’s most effective on a scale.”